Game-board.



F. KIEFER. GAME BOARD. APPLICATION FILED AFB. 4, 1918.

1 ,lQfiQQ I Patented July 7, 1914.

V v I ,2

76-045 Kaye?- UNITED STATES PATENT onnion.

FRED KIEFER, OF SGBANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE D.

' FUCHS, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA. V

GAME-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7,1914.

Application filed April 4, 1913. Serial No. 758,981.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED Kmrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards,

of which the following is'a specification.

ployed, inasmuch as the number of game pieces captured does not decide the game but the game pieces have certain definite numerical valuation which are to be totaled at the end of the game.

Another aim of the invention is to so arrange the board that the game pieces must, in initially arranging them upon the board, be placed on certain squares or spaces, and the invention'contemplates so relatively arranging these squares or spaces that neither party will have the advantage of the other at the beginning of the game and that the game pieces having the lowest numerical value will in all probability be the ones to be first captured, those of greater valuation being located nearer whatis'commonly known as the king row.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the checker board embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the face of the game pieces, or checkers, which are to be moved over the surface of the board in making the plays.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying draw ing by the same reference characters.

In the drawing the board is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and is divided into a row of squares or spaces, certain of which indicated by the numeral 2, correspond to the red squares ofthe ordinary checker-board, and the others indicated by the numeral 3, correspond to the black squares of the ordinary checker-board. As in the case of the ordinary checker-board, the black and red spaces, or in other words, the spaces 2 and 3 in the present board are arranged in rows and are alternated, the spaces of adjacent rows being also arranged in staggered relation. Also, there are preferably six of the black squares or spaces 3 in each of the rows and four such rows at each side of the board constitutes a side, or in other words the players respective territory. As a consequence the black spaces or squares within which the game pieces or checkers are initially arranged are equal in number to the States in the Union, and printed in each of these spaces is the name of one of the States, such for example as Texas, in the space indicated specifically by the reference numeral 3 and also printed in this space is the numeral 20 indicating the number of electoral votes allotted to that particular State. Upon reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the States'having the greatest number of electoral votes are located within what is commonly known as the king row at each side of the board and that the States having the least number of votes are arranged within the row farthest removed from the king row at the respective side of the board, as for example, in the space indicated specifically by the reference character 3 Idaho 4:.

The game-pieces are indicated by the numeral 4 and each is in the nature of a disk resembling somewhat the ordinary checker and each of these disks or game-pieces has printed or otherwise indicated upon its face, or upon both faces, the name of a State, as for example, Pennsylvania in the instance of the disk indicated specifically by the numeral 4 in Fig. 2 and also upon the disk the name of the capital of the State,

as for example. Harrisburg, the number of electoral votes being also indicated, as for example, in this instance, by the numeral 38'. In placing'the game-pieces upon the board they are placed in squares corresponding to their face designations and consequently the game-pieces 4* will be placed in that one of the black squares which is indicated specifically by the numeral 3 in Fig. 1.

The game is played in the same manner as the ordinary game of checkers, and it will be apparent that extraordinary skill game but'the combined numerical values of the captured game-pieces and both players must exercise skill in preventing the capture of their game-pieces'which have vthe highest values.

Having thus described theinvention-what is claimed as new is -.1 I ame apparatus, a game-board having its surface divided into a number of squares ha ving indicia denoting tne States of the Union and the number of electoral votes to which each particular State is entitled, and a number of game-pieces each having indicia corresponding to one of the squares.

2. In game apparatus, a game-board having its surface divided into a number of squares certain of the squares having indicia denoting the States of'the Union and the number of electoral votes to which each lState is entitled-in a presidential election,

and a number of game-pieces having indicia corresponding to the indicia of the squares and-being further provided with indicia pre senting the name of the capital of the State cia denoting the States of the Union and the number of electoral votes to which each particular State is entitled, and a number of game-pieces adapted for movement over the board and each bearing indicia corre sponding to the indicia of the squares upon which they are to be initially placed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED KIEFER. [L.s.] Witnesses:

C. H. YOUNG, C. W. HENDERSON. 

